


Just Glue Some Gears on It

by EvilMuffins



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-11 15:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5631091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilMuffins/pseuds/EvilMuffins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being the thrilling tale of a rich airship owner, and a talented young author.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Glue Some Gears on It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fluffybun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffybun/gifts).



> Title taken from [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFCuE5rHbPA). It's always the first thing that pops into my mind when I think of steampunk :P  
> However, there is an unfortunate lack of gears in this story, but please feel free to imagine them adorning anything you'd like! haha

 

“Why are you here?” Togami looked up from the stack of paperwork on his desk, brow arched, sounding for all the world as if he truly had forgotten, rather than only asking as a form of conversation starter.

Though she had been perfectly content to sit on the edge of the office couch while taking in the right side of the businessman’s ridiculously handsome face for the past hour as he finished his work, Fukawa _was_ under a deadline for this manuscript.

She fiddled with the end of her hair. “I…I’m here to interview you for the biography.”

He swiveled his chair to face her fully. “Whatever for?”

Though Fukawa found herself taken-aback for a moment, she just as soon decided that she liked his attitude; it was refreshing.

The biographer took a gamble that he would similarly enjoy a no-frills response. “W-when I wrote a biography on that sky-fisherman, it made the entire industry more popular and drummed up business. My publisher wants me to cash in on your line of work.”

The mention of money seemed to spark Togami’s interest. “There would be royalties, I’d assume?”

Before she could answer, Togami’s desk chair began to slide on its gleaming brass wheels as the ship began to rock, his undignified utterance of distress muted by the sound of the ship’s engines expelling steam.

The shaking soon halted, but not before the chair’s rollicking journey had caused Togami’s knees to knock into Fukawa’s where she had braced herself on the couch.

“Did I tell you that you could touch me?” He snapped, standing abruptly, and wheeling his chair back to its place at the desk.

Fukawa moved her fingers over the place where his knee had made contact with her’s. “You didn’t, but…You also didn’t tell me that the ship would moving,” she retorted, though it had been clear that he hadn’t expected the sudden rocking either.

“This may come as a surprise, but airships have been occasionally known to take off.” Togami settled back at his desk, returning to his paperwork and grumbling under his breath, “Looks like I need to fire that idiot if he can’t make it run any smoother. ‘ _Ultimate Mechanic’_ my a-“

“T-t-take off!?” Fukawa screeched, leaping to the window, letting her notebook and pen fall to the floor. She had assumed that the rocking had just been part of…routine maintenance or some such. She had been slightly more focused on the feeling of his leg pressed against her’s- for someone who spoke so coldly, he had been surprisingly warm.

The receding view of the roof of the Togami Corp. building soon gave way to that of a bank of clouds so fluffy white, it was as if the entire ship had wandered inside the world’s largest feather pillow.

Frantic, she whipped around to face him. “I have to deliver this manuscript by end of day!”

“And I have to meet with a supplier across the continent by end of day. Perhaps you could pay a courier to turn it in for you once we land.”

Same day courier service was astronomically expensive due to the high cost of coal; it would cost the writer every cent she would be paid for the job. I wasn’t even her own fault that it would be late. If this man had been so intent on inconveniencing her, her could have just locked her in the brig, and given her a stern talking to… _very_ stern…with his hand to her-

“Besides, I never actually agreed to the interview,” he tamped a stack of papers into a neatly flush stack with a satisfying _thunk_. “I have a ship to run.”

As he stood from the desk and made for the door, Fukawa assumed for a moment that this signaled an end in the conversation. She opened her mouth to protest further, before he spoke again.

“Therefore, I thought it would be more efficient for you to follow and observe me do my work instead. That way, we can both accomplish or jobs. Is that arrangement agreeable?”

Fukawa nodded profusely, though Togami did not see as he had already exited out into the hall.

* * *

 

There were a decent handful of things that Touko Fukawa was not good at, being well-liked among them. However, other than writing, following people quietly was something she quickly found that she had some measure of skill with.

By the time the sun washed the sky with evening red, Fukawa had memorized nearly every fiber on the back of Togami’s black silk hat.

She had trailed behind him as he checked on the supply room, the swelteringly oppressive engine room, a room full of ticking-tocking gears performing some automated task, and a conference hall hosting some sort of business meeting that even Togami seemed to find tedious, with Fukawa furiously scribbling notes all the while, in between grinning smugly at the crew mates she passed. She was permitted to follow their handsome captain as closely as she liked (as long as that happened to be no nearer than three feet), while they were stuck stoking coal and what-not.

Finally, Togami led her out onto one of the decks.

Fukawa looked around, taking in the entire deck area, before hesitantly joining him in looking out over the rail.  There didn't seem to be any pressing matters to attend to out here, in the cool evening air that tussled about what was visible of the businessman's hair from under his hat.

A silence settled upon them, save for the gentle _swoosh_ of the breeze. 

Fukawa stuffed her notebook back into her satchel. The little cows in the pasture below reminded Fukawa of her tiny pet, Kameko, left back home. She hoped that Togami was intending to bring herself back with him once his business was done, rather than just dropping her off wherever they were headed.

"Were you able to get all of the necessary information?" Togami asked, turning to lean his lower back and elbows on the rail. Though he put on a front, Fukawa could tell that it must be very tiring for one man to run such a large airship, not to mention a company, all by himself. Though she worked incredibly hard at her own craft as well, the man's work ethic still left her feeling inspired.

 "Yes! I definitely got a lot of good info!" she assured, before her eyes grew wide at the realization of just what Togami happened to be leaning on. "B-byakuya-sama! T-t-that rail you're leaning on!"

"Yes, what of it? Speak clearly!" He insisted, crossing his arms and leaning harder on the rail.

 "It's a 11037 model from Mono Industries! They were recalled last year!"

Togami scoffed, "I know everything about this ship. Certainly, I would be aware if anything had been re-"

Before he finish being as uppity as he would have liked, there came a horrible screech of metal as the rail gave way. Thankfully, Fukawa had already began to  grab for his hand.

He hung from the edge of the deck like a rather dapper fruit from a tree, though his hat had fluttered away toward village bellow. Fortunately, the powers that be didn't see fit to pluck him from existence just yet.

With the type of strength that brides sometimes find to lift a wrecked carriage off of their injured husband, Fukawa hoisted Togami back up onto the solid deck.

No one spoke for a few moments, as the two lay sprawled out and panting.

Fukawa loosened her corset in an attempt to return the air to her lungs that had been terrified out of her seconds before.

“How did you know about the rail?” Togami asked, adjusting his glasses once he had more or less recovered from the ordeal.

“Research for a novel I was writing…” she replied, picking herself up and dusting her skirts.

“That was,” he coughed lightly into his hand, still looking toward the now missing rail, “Very competent of you. I don’t enjoy being in debt to anyone, so in thanks I will pay the courier fee for your manuscript.”

Fukawa’s eyes lit up at the compliment. “T-thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Also, I could use someone with your observational skills on board. Once we land, I will make preparations for you to join my crew. I will of course send for your things from back home, so long as they are appropriate for such a vessel.”

Though it hadn’t been a question, Fukawa responded, “I would love to!”

_And so the two lived happily ever after..._

* * *

 

“S-so, how did you like it?” Fukawa asked her boyfriend eagerly after he had closed the notebook.

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to fall off of the ship, but other than that, I found it a satisfactory read. The Fukawa character was the type of person I wouldn’t be entirely opposed to spending time with,” he smirked.

_The end_

 

**Author's Note:**

> She'll change the names to protect the innocent when she gets it published. ;)


End file.
